When we read "The Little Prince" as children, we didn't really understand all of it. For instance, the titular character visits six tiny asteroids, each populated with a singular adult:
A king who rules over nothing
A man so vain he only loves himself
An alcoholic who drinks to forget
A businessman who counts stars so he can own them
A lamplighter who keeps lighting the same light
A geographer who knows nothing outside his books
These are just silly characters, we thought as kids. Now, looking back, we can't help but think...
That's the world we live in, isn't it? These six archetypes, these are the people who surround us... We'll go even further: each of these six is a part of ourselves as well. As children, did we ever think we would end up... like this? G-d, why do we keep lighting that darn useless light every day...
"All grown-ups were children first," writes Antoine de Saint-Exupery in the novel's dedication to his best friend, fellow writer Leon Werth. "(But few of them remember it.)"
We remember it, Antoine. We'll try not to forget...
